Envisage
by BabyPrin
Summary: No longer teens but adults, the guys find themselves pondering about what else life has in store for them. This is a story of never losing hope, finding love and valuing family. A bit Leocentered fanfic. LxOC, RxOC, DxOC, MxOC, AxC
1. Prologue

Prologue 

She ran aimlessly through the stormy night.

She didn't care where she was going, as long as she got away.

_They mustn't catch me. Not yet. I need more time!_

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the high wall at the end of the street she entered.

_No! A dead end! _

She wanted to back out, but she couldn't anymore. Her heart raced as she heard voices closing in.

_I must find another way. _

A flash of lightning lit the dark sky and like a beacon, reflected off a metallic cover on the road.

_The sewer, _she thought and without hesitation, lifted the heavy lid almost effortlessly. _I'll take the chase underground. _She jumped inside the dark hole and landed gracefully on the watery filth below. Almost instantly, she broke into a run.

_This'll give me a few more hours. As long as my sisters are out of harm's way, I don't care what they do to me. Those monsters will not get what they want; I will not allow it._

She reached the end of the tunnel and found herself looking down at the crisscross of thin pipes and wide openings all flowing with sewage.

"There she is!"

Without looking back, she took the leap into the dark deep, waters at least twenty feet from where she stood. She surfaced and instinctively struggled against the rapid waters swirling into the drainage below. Eventually, she decided to go with the flow and with one last gulp of air, she allowed herself to be engulfed and taken down.

She cringed every time her body slammed against the metal walls of the pipes. But the journey was quick, and soon the pipe spewed her out into another open system and into a pool of water. She coughed a bit and swam towards the nearest opening. She hoisted herself up and tried to shake off the excess water that clung to her skin. She looked up and was amazed at how high up she came from, thankful that the water below was deep enough to cushion her fall. But her body ached terribly; from the running or the swimming, she didn't know. As she turned to walk she bit back a shriek. She didn't realize until then that she had injured her ankle.

She glanced at the 4 colored bracelets on her right arm and resolved to continue despite the pain. She walked along the wall of the tunnel for support and limped her way forward.

_Just a little longer…_


	2. Interlude 1

**Interlude 1: Leonardo's Thoughts**

In this life, we only have each other.

My father, my three brothers and I.

We all know that it ends with us. And although we never talked about it, I know that they're anxious about the future --- or the lack of it.

But they are not as restless as I.

As their leader, I show them strength and indifference towards this uncertainty.

What they don't know is that I long to have a family of my own; a mate to share the rest of my life with and offspring to care for.

Somebody once said that everybody has a soul mate.

Whoever that somebody was, he didn't predict that beings like us would come to exist.

I am Leonardo. And I am a mutant ninja turtle.

"Hellooooo, Leo?"

This is my youngest brother, Michaelangelo. His childlike outlook of reality contrasts my own.

"Mikey, can't you see he's meditating?"

The resident genius, Donatello, is probably the most considerate of my siblings.

"Donny, I think you should just whack him with your Bo to shut him up."

And that, is Raphael, the one who thinks everything can be put in its place with brute strength.

"Raph, leave Mikey alone."

I hear him scoff at my reproach. I sigh in defeat and open my eyes to view my surroundings. I see my hothead brother sparring with a punching bag hanging at the far corner of our designated training area. He and I never did see eye to eye about almost everything. We clashed like fire and water. Donny and Mikey get along surprisingly well even though opposites in terms of astuteness. Raph and I would usually just stay out of each other's way.

"Michaelangelo, I want you to practice with Raphael."

We all turn to the voice behind us then bow in unison to pay our respects to our sensei.

"Donatello, you and Leonardo on the other side."

We all move quietly to our designated corners and bow to our partners before beginning our exercise.

It was time for our regular morning drill. Splinter let us have our way with everything except when it comes to our training. He is as strict as any martial arts master in disciplining his students.

"Owwww! You did that on purpose!"

Donny & I stopped to look at Mikey rubbing his arm and wincing in discomfort. I noticed Master Splinter worry a bit before shaking his head and telling them to proceed. As a father, he does not like seeing us get hurt.

"Hey, Leo, you okay?"

I turned to face my brother, rather embarrassed that I forgot about him. "I'm alright, Donny. Let's continue?"

With a nod he makes his stance and attacks.

My thoughts will have to wait until later.


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Leonardo sprinted in the underground maze that was New York City's sewer system.

He jumped over, evaded and slid under any obstruction that came his way.

It was his evening routine; part of his cool down exercise. He slowed his pace to catch his breath. By his count, his one hour is almost up; he will be heading back to the lair soon.

He looked around and allowed his surroundings to sink in. When he was young, Master Splinter told him to observe his surroundings carefully to avoid losing his way. And as always, he followed his sensei's instructions, knowing that it was right: the system is a lot bigger than most realize, with the tunnels stretching for miles in all directions.

He had decided to take a different route this time both as a challenge and to make himself more familiar with unexplored territory. Twenty-five years of running around still didn't seem enough time to explore it. Some parts haven't been visited in several decades, some continuously renovated. This is one of those sections that seemed forgotten by time.

He took into consideration the heavy rains that occurred the night before and assessed the water flow beside him. He noticed the different kinds of debris clogging up parts of the tunnel, and with the notable rise in the water level, he concluded that in a while longer, that part of the sewers could start overflowing. He continued to jog forward and found himself nearing a closed-off channel.

_I guess it's time to go back. _

He made a complete stop and stretched a bit. He was about to turn the other direction to leave when something near the boarded passage caught his eye.

He noticed what seemed like light colored fabric floating in the murky water.

A few more steps forward and he realized that he had come across a seemingly lifeless woman. Her body was half submerged; with the water already inching its way to her cheeks.

He stared at her for a while before he reached to feel for a pulse. He stopped when he noticed her chest move to gasp for air.

_She's alive._

He expected her to open her eyes but she didn't. He shook her a bit, but didn't get any other response from her. He checked again and saw that she was still breathing.

_I wonder what's wrong with her._

He decided to worry about that later as he noticed the water current rising steadily. He lifted her in his arms and hurriedly retraced his steps. He glanced at the woman and saw that she was injured. Bruises were visible on her arms and caught a glimpse of her swollen ankle.

_I'll take her to April. She can help her more than we can_.

A quiet murmur broke him out of his train of thought. He looked down and saw her looking at him with half open eyes.

"Hey," he said quietly, "I'm trying to help."

She continued to look at him in silence and blinked her eyes several times as if trying to get them to focus.

"It's rather dark; the sewer tunnel we're in isn't very well lit." He told her. "Why are you here? Who did this to you?"

Still no answer.

"You're going to be safe now." He told her, "I can promise you that much."

Her eyes started to close slowly but before she fell asleep again, she managed to shift her weight closer to him.

_She feels so warm. _He thought. He took another glance at her and couldn't help but smile when he saw that she had buried her face in his chest.

_This feels eerily… familiar. _

"Focus, Leonardo." He scolded himself out loud as he continued his way. He shifted her in his arms and looked at her again. He knew that he would barely see her facial features in the dark, but he strained to try to see her anyway.

"Fo-cus!" he said to himself again and turned his attention back to where he was going.

_What's wrong with me?!? I'm not usually distracted like this. But it's like I know her; like I've met her before._

"This is crazy!" he finally decided, stopping dead in his tracks. He shifted her in his arms again. "Lack of sleep is finally getting to me." He sighed and shook his head. "She needs help, and you're going to get her to April's without any nonsense floating around in your head. Got that, Leonardo?"

He groaned. "Great, now I'm talking to myself." He chuckled despite of himself. _I've got to stop doing that. _He checked on his load again and sobered.

_I sure hope April and Casey don't mind my late visit._


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

BEEP

"April, it's Leo. I need a big favor. Can you spare one of your apartments for the night? And can you bring some clothes? I have someone with me who needs help. I'll meet you at back."

BEEP

-----------------

April cautiously entered the dimly lit alleyway where the housing complex's trash was segregated for pick-up.

"Leo?"

"I'm right here, April."

She squinted to help her eyes adjust to the darkness. She blinked a few times before she noticed the silhouette of her shelled friend. He took a few steps forward, standing under the glow of one of the wall lamps closest to her. In his arms was an unconscious, dark-haired woman.

"I found her nearby; in the sewers. I was doing some cool down laps and took a different route tonight and found her."

"Lucky for her, then." April said as she motioned for him to follow her to the front of the building. She noticed him hesitate and reassured him. "Casey's on watch. He would have alerted us by now if there were people nearby. It is kinda late."

She glanced from left to right every so often as she led the way up the steps into the building. Her husband stood vigilant by the door and she noticed him straining a bit to see what their friend carried. She passed him and Leo followed, careful to prevent his load from hitting anything.

"Who is she?" Casey asked as he closed the front door behind them.

"We'll worry about that later." April said as she opened the first door atop the hallway staircase. She held the door open for Leo. "Put her on the couch." She instructed, following close behind. Casey was once again tasked to close the door.

Leonardo did as he was told and gently laid her on the living room sofa.

April assessed the mystery woman carefully. With better lighting in the room, she was able to see a lot now. "Poor thing's bruised all over!" she exclaimed, noting the black and blue markings on her pale skin.

"She's got a nasty sprain, too." Casey added, pointing at the woman's right foot. "That bulge's bigger than Jersey!"

"Casey!" April scolded.

"What? Well, it is. I mean look at it. It's like she forced herself to move around with a sprained ankle."

"Maybe she was."

Casey and April looked at Leonardo.

"I don't think she'll get beat-up like that under normal circumstances."

April returned her attention back to the woman and noticed something else. She scrunched up her nose in pity. "Leo, would you bring her to the bathroom, please? Running around in the sewers has made her filthy. I'll clean her up a bit. Maybe that'll wake her up."

"Are you sure about that?" Casey asked warily. "She might attack you in there or something."

April smiled. "I think I can handle her if she did." She answered confidently as she followed Leonardo into the bathroom. "Lay her in the tub. I'll figure things out from there." She told him as she waited by the door. "I'll keep the door unlocked. You boys come and get me in case there's trouble… which I highly doubt."

After Leonardo closed the door behind him, April returned her attention back to the woman. If felt strange that she volunteered to clean her, but at the same time, it seemed the right thing to do.

_Besides, maybe she'll wake up before I bathe her. _She thought optimistically as she allowed the water to run and dipping her hand in to check if it was warm enough. She cussed quietly after realizing that she hasn't taken the stranger's clothes off yet. So she did, as carefully as she could, so as not to add to the apparent injuries. After a quick minute, she was surprised that she managed to do so without waking her up.

The woman had on four colored bracelets on her right arm. April immediately noticed that the colors were the same as her friends' masks. She then saw the unusual patterns on each of them.

She tossed the wet clothes aside and rummaged under the sink for some of the unused bath sponges she had lying around.

---------------------------

"Hey, Ma." Casey greeted as his mother stepped into the apartment.

"Arnold, what's the big emergency that you made me drive all the way back here? I was halfway near your place when you called."

"Good evening, Mrs. Jones." Leonardo greeted.

"Leonardo." She acknowledged. "You're the big emergency I presume?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry to have been an inconvenience." He said and bowed slightly.

"Uncle Leo!"

The sleepy tot holding on to his grandmother suddenly became wide awake after seeing the turtle. He ran to him enthusiastically and was greeted the same.

"Hey, Matt! I heard grandma took you to a circus show today."

The boy nodded then proceeded to tell stories of the high-wire, clowns and animal performers.

"Where's April?" Mrs. Jones asked.

"In the bathroom with an unconscious woman Leo found in the sewers."

She arched an eyebrow. "That's something you don't hear everyday. But that's not the most unusual thing the two of you have done." She checked the time on her wristwatch. "Look at the time! I should be on my way."

"Matt, granny's leaving." Casey called out to his son.

The little red-head stopped his animated story-telling and ran to Mrs. Jones' open arms. "Thanks for taking me to see the circus, granny. I really, really enjoyed it!"

"You're welcome, Matthew. Next time we'll go see the dinosaurs in the museum." She promised, while giving him a bear hug.

She waved to Leonardo and Casey gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Tell April that I absolutely adore the antique figurine she gave me. Give my regards to Splinter and the other turtles. And call me; I want to know the whole story of this mystery woman."

-----------------

After Casey took Matthew away, Leonardo leaned on the wall outside the bathroom and waited patiently until he heard the door open about 10 minutes later.

"You can get her now, Leo." April said. She noticed him tense-up and she laughed. "I've wrapped her up in a towel. She's decent enough for you to see. Bring her to the guest room. I'll dress her there."

He seemed surprised. "She didn't wake up?"

"I'm as surprised as you are. She's really out. If she's not awake by tomorrow, we're taking her to see a doctor."

"Ma already dropped Matt off." Casey told his wife as she stood by the door and waited for Leonardo to bring the woman out. "I tucked him in the other room. But I doubt that he's already asleep." He paused when Leo walked passed them with the woman in tow and headed straight to where he was instructed to take her.

"So, did you find anything on her that could tell us who she is or where she came from?"

April shook her head. "No, Casey. The only other things on her apart from the clothes are the four bracelets on her arm. They have symbols on them which I think I've seen before. I just couldn't put my finger on it right now."

"Uhm, April." Leonardo interrupted, his voice, kind of hushed. He approached the couple and talked with an even more muted voice. "You'd better go into the room."

Casey gave his friend a quizzical look. "Something wrong, Leo?"

He nodded. "I think she's waking up."

-----------------

"You're with friends." April assured her, and made no sudden movements from the door where she was standing to appease the stranger. "My name is April. My friend found you out cold in the sewers near our apartment and brought you here. I hope you don't mind, but I hosed you down." She slowly moved to the side without taking her eyes of the guest. "Here." She said, while putting the bundle of clothing she was holding on the edge of the bed. "I brought something you can wear while your clothes are getting washed."

"Thank you." the guest finally said. "But I couldn't possibly stay here." She tried to get up but when she attempted to stand, she cried out in pain and fell back on the bed.

"You really shouldn't be moving around with that injury." April scolded lightly, offering her a robe so she can change from the towel she was clad in. "You're practically black and blue all over. I'm surprised you still have the strength to even want to move." Her expression changed to one of worry. "Did someone do this to you? Maybe we should call the police."

"No!" she exclaimed, startling April. "There is no need for you to concern yourself over this. You have done more than enough, really." She said, her voice softening.

April looked at her and didn't prod. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"But ---"

"There's no point in arguing, you will stay here until your sprain heals at least."

She finally sighed in defeat and nodded. "Thank you." She said again.

Movement at the door caught her attention which made April turn to look as well. April smiled and motioned for the intruder to come to her side.

"This is my son, Matt."

"Hi!" the green-eyed boy said, causing the woman to smile back. "What's your name?"

"You can call me 'Lori'."

The lad eyed her and asked innocently, "Are you Uncle Leo's girlfriend?"

"Matthew!" April reprimanded, embarrassed.

"Well, Uncle Leo looks really worried about her."

Lori looked at April and asked, "Is this 'Uncle Leo' my rescuer?"

April nodded and instructed her son to get him. A minute or so later, a tall burly man stood at the door.

"I'm not Leo; I'm Casey, April's husband." He said, scratching his head. "Leo went ninja on us and vanished."

"That's odd. Why would Leo…" April trailed off. "I'm sorry; he probably had to attend to something."

"I was looking forward to meeting him." Lori said, rather disappointed. "He seems like a good man."

April arched an eyebrow.

"I was still conscious when he found me." Lori explained. "But only barely. I could hear him talking to me. His voice sounded so reassuring."

"Did you see how he looked like?" April asked.

Lori shook her head. "It was rather dark, I couldn't see his face. I only heard him and felt how warm he was." She looked away as she felt a blush rise to her cheeks which didn't go unnoticed by the other two people in the room.

"You should get some rest now. We can talk in the morning." April said as she inched to where Casey stood.

"Yeah, who knows? Leo might drop-by tomorrow and we'll introduce you to him." Casey said before closing the door. "Sweet dreams!" he yelled from the other side.

Lori sat quietly with her hands folded on her lap as she recalled the past days in her head --- up to the night her body finally gave-in to exhaustion. She inhaled deeply and looked out the window. From where she was, she could see the Statue of Liberty standing regally on her pedestal with the full moon and star-lit sky as her backdrop. She had always wanted to go there, but never found the time to.

She closed her eyes and inhaled once again, trying to clear her thoughts. She can rest for a while now; she had accomplished her mission. She changed out of the wet towel then lowered herself under the covers and soon enough fell into a deep slumber.

In her weariness, she did not notice the observer from the very window she looked out of.

Not that it mattered. He was no threat anyway.

Out of the shadows, Leonardo stepped closer to the glass to view her. He left when he heard that he was to be introduced to her. He wanted to meet her, to talk with her, but he felt afraid for some reason. He sighed then turned around to once again disappear into the dark and headed for his home in the sewers.

He will thank the Jones' in the morning.


	5. Interlude 2

**Interlude 2**

4:09 A.M.

Time sure flies when I have my nose glued to the drawing board.

I feel rather disappointed that it seems quite some time ago since my last invention. The three sketches I have in front of me right now are just upgrades for the Battle Shell, Shell Cel and Sewer Slider.

I should save a dollar for every time Raph and Mikey approach me with their ideas … I'd still be living in the sewers, but I'd be a few hundred dollars richer.

Eight hundred ninety-eight dollars richer to be exact; and that's only from the past three months.

So much to do, so much time in my hands.

I wish I had a different hobby. Instead of taking things apart and making things work, it'll probably be nice to have something else to get me distracted.

I envy my brothers sometimes; the way they unwind is a lot less stressful than my own --- at least they seem to be getting more sleep than I am.

Although Mikey's been doing all-nighters to play his video games and Raph's been going topside more often then comes back later than usual.

Hmmm. I guess I was wrong to conclude that they're getting more sleep.

Even Leo's been out of it lately. I mean he's the one with the most focus in the group and yet it's really obvious that some thing is on his mind.

_Donatello._

That voice.

I swear, if I wasn't so sure of myself, I'd think I was crazy; that I was hearing things.

But I know I'm not. Someone out there's trying to communicate with me through my subconscious; my dreams. Why and how, I don't know.

I have no idea who she is and what she wants. And it's kind of scary not knowing.

I remember Master Splinter saying to me, "Each of your brothers has strengths and weaknesses. You must learn to be strong when they are weak."

I guess this is as good as any to be a little stubborn and not come out and tell my brothers what's on my mind just yet.

This could be nothing.

The bulb in my head lights up again with an idea.

A machine that records dreams!

I check the clock again and involuntarily yawn. I should be getting some shut eye, but this is one idea that I should put at the top of my list. This could be the answer to my problem.

That's me when the gears in my head start turning. As Raph would put it, "having a geek moment." And that's when I shut myself from the world to concentrate on my work.

Being the smart one sure has its downfalls.


	6. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Blue. Violet. Orange. Red.

He watched in awe as the colors swirled around him like a magnificent light show: a sight that could compete with the infamous Aurora Borealis.

He curiously reached out but only one color surrounded his outstretched hand… the color of his mask.

It felt unusually warm, he pondered, and peculiarly calming. Suddenly, the light grew restless again and formed itself into a sphere, which he likened to a fortune-teller's crystal ball. Inside, he was shown a pair of cerulean eyes.

He felt an unfamiliar shiver down his spine as the eyes returned his inquisitive stare. They seemed to connect with him somehow…

"Leonardo."

_What a beautiful voice, _he thought, his heart pounding with exhilaration. "Who are you?"

But the orb slowly lost its shape and returned to its original form, melding with its fellow colors.

"Wait!"

But his surroundings had already changed from a brilliant lightshow to a gloomy abyss. He felt his heart drop down to the floor as a flood of grief enveloped his entire being. He looked around groping the dark, searching.

He soon gave up but felt hope.

-----------------

Leonardo jerked himself awake.

_It was that dream again. _

He buried his face into his hands as he recalled the eyes that spoke to him.

_Those eyes. So intoxicating. The dream is at its clearest since it began; the feeling… is this supposed to mean something? _

He glanced at the electronic clock that hung on his room's wall.

_Four a.m. It's still a bit early. I should get some more sleep, but… _

"Leonardo."

The turtle almost jumped when he heard his name.

"Sensei?"

"May I come in?"

He pushed his blanket aside and got up from his bed. He walked towards the light switch, careful not to hit anything. After opening the lights, he called his master in.

Splinter slid the makeshift door that served as an entryway to his son's room. He immediately noticed how his son maintained a clean & organized space much similar to his own. He took a seat on the lounge chair that seemed out of place. He recalled fondly how his three younger sons debated and argued over the oversized piece of furniture when they found it in the dumpsite a few months back. To stop his adult sons from bickering, he decided for them and gave the chair to Leonardo who didn't want it at the time. Now, he was told, Leonardo spent a great deal of time sitting on that very chair studying his mantras. Now that his siblings are asking for it, he no longer wants to give it up.

"Master, I wasn't expecting you up this early."

He returned his attention to his son and motioned for him to sit on the bed adjacent to the chair so he can see him. The turtle complied and they both sat in silence for a while.

Splinter watched as Leonardo stared back at him rather apprehensively.

"You are probably wondering why I am here." After seeing a nod, he continued, "I can hear you get up in the middle of the night and during the day you seem so preoccupied. This has been going on for weeks now." He paused for a while then asked, "What troubles you, my son?"

Leonardo lowered his eyes to the floor, uncertain what to ask and where to begin. So many thoughts entered his mind that he suddenly blurted out, "Sensei, how did you decide the colors for our masks?" When Splinter arched an eyebrow, he elaborated, "When the Ancient One gave us our ninja masks as a present, did you take time to think about who gets to wear which?"

Although not understanding how this caused his son's sleepless nights, Splinter pondered on the question for a while, before answering, "Truthfully my son, the Ancient One and I didn't really discuss that since we were pressed for time," he recalled, "it was more on chance that made the choice: whoever was the closest and whatever color we were holding."

Splinter noticed the downcast expression on Leonardo's face as he lowered his eyes to the floor and clasped his hands together. He waited for him to speak. Minutes passed before he did.

"I've been having a dream; the same one, every night for almost two months now."

"Tell me what it is about."

"A light show with the colors of our masks; my brothers' and my own. The blue light always comes to me and it forms some sort of window where I see this pair of blue eyes staring back at me. She calls my name once then disappears."

"She?"

"I know, Master, but the voice echoes in my head so clearly. 'Leonardo', she says, like…" he trailed-off, rather embarrassed, not knowing what he is trying to say.

"Go on, my son. I know there is more."

He breathes in deeply before continuing, "There's just something about the way she says my name. How her eyes look into mine. It's difficult to describe. It's strange, not knowing what it means and yet I feel so much from it; like I already know who she is and that I've already felt this before."

The patriarch looked at his son with concerned eyes and wise as he was, he was not certain what the dream meant. It could be a simple fantasy or an imminent foresight. The dream has been persistent; and experience has taught him that anything is possible.

"I will be honest and tell you that I do not know what your dream is about, but from what you say about it, I can only assure you that something good is about to happen. If it were bad feelings elicited from the dream, then there is cause for us to worry."

Leonardo finally looked up and met his father's eyes. "You think something will happen?"

"Perhaps this vision calls to you for a reason." Splinter began. He stood and approached his son. "Whatever the reason, it will reveal itself in time." He laid a hand on Leo's shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. "Get some rest, my son and worry yourself no longer."

Leo gave a reluctant nod and watched as his father exited his room. He took a deep breath before standing up to close the lights. He will heed his sensei's advice and get some more rest.

Outside, Splinter closed his eyes and his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

_I find it unusual that all my four sons have the same haunting dream… _

First it was Raphael who opened up to him. This son kept to himself most of the time, which is why he found it strange when he approached him to ask for his insight a month ago. Then Donatello came to him. This son turned to the sciences for answers but even his grasp on reality couldn't fathom the consistency of what he felt the past weeks. Then days ago, Michaelangelo asked for his help. This son has had strange dreams since he was a tot and Splinter was sure that his son's wild imagination would not allow him to dwell on a recurring picture. Now, even Leonardo confesses.

_All of them; they all started having the dream at the same time and is continuing to have them. A woman's voice that calls their name, the colors of their masks coming to them, a sense of familiarity… _

_What does this all mean? _

Splinter opened his eyes and glanced around him. He knew his other sons were up as well. All of them were affected by their dream yet dealt with it differently.

He took another deep breathe and decided to check on and talk to the other turtles.

-----------------

Lori glanced at the table clock that April brought into the room earlier that day.

8:00 pm 

Amazing how one day of bed rest helped her healing. The swell in her ankle had almost vanished, her sore body now refreshed.

She was very thankful of the hospitality extended to her by Casey and April. Even Matthew made sure her stay was pleasant; he was so bubbly and spoke with such truthfulness that she didn't find it hard to adore the little boy.

Then she thought about her mysterious savior…

… and felt herself blush.

_What is wrong with me? I know nothing of him and yet I'm feeling this way. Why?! I don't understand. It's not like me to get distracted like this… _

CLINK

Her head turned to face towards the window to her right. Earlier, April offered to leave it slightly open to allow fresh air to come in. Lori knew that she was at the second floor of April's apartment building and that outside her window was the fire escape.

Someone was out there, she was sure of it.

She gasped inwardly. _No! They found me already? _"Who's there?" she demanded, as she swung her legs to the side of the bed, ready to attempt to get up.

"You know, you shouldn't try to stand." the prowler chided, his voice low.

_That voice. _Lori thought as she froze. She found herself staring at the wall, with the window behind her. "Who are you?"

"Leonardo," he answered, "but my friends & brothers call me Leo."

"It was you who found me last night?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

An unusually comfortable silence hung in the air while they waited for the other to talk.

Lori moved her head to her right, trying to catch a glance of him. _Why is_ _he outside?_ She wondered, but decided not to ask. Odd as it was, she felt he was trustworthy despite his hiding.

"I'm Lori, by the way."

"I know. I heard you last night."

"You suddenly disappeared, I was told."

"I wanted to make sure that we were not followed. I noticed how badly hurt you were and thought that someone must've done that to you."

"I appreciate your concern, but really, you and the Jones' have done too much for a stranger."

"A stranger who looks like she needs help."

She didn't retort to that but instead moved to lean her back on the bed frame and returned her legs under the sheets.

"Tell me something about yourself, Leo."

Leonardo shifted slightly from his seated position on the fire escape. "What is it you'd like to know?"

"Anything you'd like to share with me."

He thought for a while, uncertain how to tell her his story without revealing too much and without lying to her.

"I have three brothers and we live with our father…" he began.

-----------------

Leonardo smiled as he watched her sleep.

It was five in the morning and he had crept inside the room after seeing that she had already fallen asleep. He watched her breathe in then out and wanted to reach out to push aside the stray hairs that hung over her eyes but decided not to.

They had talked non-stop for hours and both of them were exhausted for staying up so long. Never before had he felt as he did that night --- talking to a complete stranger and not knowing anything about her and yet feeling that he did.

_It'll never work out. _He sadly told himself._ Once you see what I am, you'll understand. When the right opportunity comes, I'll show you. But for now, it's better this way._


	7. Chapter 4a

**Author's Note:**

Hi! Thanks to those who have been following the story. Sorry for the delayed posts. I've mentioned to one of the readers that I'm trying out something new (a new style and method) and because of this, there are and will be delays. Anyway, I'm writing this AN not to justify the holdup but to explain that I've decided to cut Chapter 4 into two parts.

Reason 1: It's becoming too long (thus gasp boring)

Reason 2: I needed a cliffhanger

I hope to finish Chapter 4b before the end of the first week of the New Year… hope you peeps stay tuned! And don't forget to review; it's much appreciated! Thanks again!

**Chapter 4a**

It was a weekly routine for the Jones' to go to the turtles' lair for dinner and some catching-up. It was a simple affair; celebrated with pizza or take-out Chinese.

What mattered to everyone anyway was the company.

Michelangelo was in the middle of a joke, when suddenly, a loud, piercing sound echoed from Donatello's side of the den.

"Uhm, Donny, what was that?"

Everyone at the table looked at Donatello wanting to know the answer as well.

"It's the alarm from the inter-stellar communicator I've been working on…" he trailed-off, quite surprised. "Somebody from outer space is trying to communicate with us!" He jumped from his seat and ran towards the workstation where the machine was.

April excused herself and followed Don. She watched as he frantically turned knobs and adjusted frequencies to allow the message to come through.

PFFZZZZT "Can anyone" PFFZZZZT "hear" PFFZZZZT "me?" PFFZZZZT

"Don, back to the left. That's where the transmission was clearer."

Donatello looked up at the monitor and watched as the static slowly formed a clearer picture.

"Hello?"

April couldn't contain her excitement after she recognized the caller's voice. "Professor Honeycutt!"

"April. It's good to see you again. The years have been good to you, I see. You look as young as I've first met you close to ten earth years ago."

April blushed. "Why thank you, professor."

Donatello smiled. "Professor Honeycutt? It's really you! Wow, new exterior?" noting the shiny new exosuit that he donned.

"Why, yes, Donatello, quite an upgrade from the last time you've seen me."

"Whoa, it's the professor!"

"Raphael." He acknowledged. "And there's Leonardo, Michelangelo and Splinter. Even Casey." The android on the screen waved with his metallic hand as he watched the group assemble behind Don and April. "Oh, and who's that?"

"Our son, Matthew." April answered as she blushed again. "Mine and Casey's."

"Oh, why congratulations, then!"

"Hey, professor, it's been ages since we've heard from you. How are the Utroms?" Leo asked.

"Quite well." He answered. "The Utroms are, shall I say, more sociable now. For the past years we have traveled to quite a number of planets with the intention of goodwill and an exchange of knowledge. I am currently in the care of one of our more recent contacts ---" he stopped talking, as if realizing something.

"Is something wrong, professor?" Don asked, quite concerned.

"I'm sorry, Donatello, but I wish I could say that I was calling under pleasant circumstances but alas, I am not. I am reminded as to why I wanted to speak with you turtles. I was hoping to ask for your assistance on something rather urgent."

"Sure, professor. What can we do for you?"

"Well, to make a long story short, we're missing someone."

"Have you tried the 'Lost and Found'?"

WHACK

"Owwwww."

"Mikey…"

"What? I thought that was a rather relevant question."

"You said, 'someone', professor. Who is this you are referring to? And how can we help when you are on another planet?" Splinter asked.

"She is the daughter of my current hosts. And she is somewhere there in your city."

"Just great." Raph says. "And how long has this alien of yours been missing? 'Coz that whack-job Bishop might have his grimy hands on him right now."

"Heavens, that man is worse than the group of bounty hunters!"

"Wait, did he just say 'bounty hunters?'" Mikey asked.

"Yes, I did. The princess is being hunted down."

"Princess?"

"Professor, perhaps you should start at the beginning." Splinter offered, quite uncertain about what it was they were getting themselves into this time.

"They are truly remarkable beings," Honeycutt began, "however, they do tend to limit their relations with other planets. The Utroms and I are the fortunate few to have been extended their friendship to."

"Sounds like a snobby group."

"Oh no, Raphael, you are mistaken. They are only cautious of whom they interact with. Their planet is a very rare mix of highly advanced technology and lush supply of natural resources. They could very well be the most influential race in their star system."

"I get it now! The princess is being hunted down to allow anybody who has her hostage to use her as a bargaining chip and have access to everything on the planet." Casey said, apparently annoyed.

"Yes. That is correct, Casey."

Everyone couldn't help but look at Casey in disbelief.

"Hey, I have my moments." He answered proudly.

"What the planet's reconnaissance team was able to gather about the hunters is that they are not hired guns from one world but a mix of rogues from different galaxies. They probably banded together and plan to auction off the captured princess to the highest bidder."

"Then we will do our best to find her." April spoke up. The turtles nodded in agreement.

"Can you give us something to work with? Like where she was last seen?" Donatello brought up.

"Well, last communication with her was somewhere in your 'central park'. Let me see if I can get a more exact location."

The android lowered his head in concentration as everyone watched him. He seemed to be keying-in something on the panel. Suddenly, his head snapped up and turned to face his right side.

"Oh dear, you're not doing what I think you're doing…" he trailed-off then disappeared off the screen as if running after someone. "Your majesties, please! His highness will not have you …"

Before anyone could ask what was going on, a bright flash of light engulfed the turtles' lair. Almost simultaneously, a loud explosion was heard from the professor's end.

"What the shell?!?"

"Professor Honeycutt?" Donatello called-out. "Is everything alright?"

April took time to let her eyes adjust from the brightness. Soon after, she noticed three silhouettes in the dark corner of the podium where Donatello was.

"Uhm, guys…"

The turtles drew their weapons as Casey motioned for their son to stand behind him. Just as they tensed to ready themselves for an attack,the professor reappeared on the screen and shouted, "Wait! Please do not harm them!"

"This doesn't look like any part of New York that we've visited."

Everyone's attention shifted to the source of the voice.

"Where the shell are we?"

Another voice.

"This is where the professor's comm link is broadcasting to. Wherever 'here' is, this is where we will find help."

And another.

Three female voices.

"Oh look, locals." The first one spoke again.

"Humans." The second noticed. "But there's a giant rodent and --- turtles?!"

"Professor, what is the meaning of this?" the third one inquired, apparently surprised.

Relieved to hear that his wards were safe, the professor sighed before speaking. "I have been meaning to tell you about them, princess, but for some reason, I was waiting for the right moment."

"Wait, how did they get from there to here?" Donatello asked.

"I mentioned earlier that they are technologically advanced. Well, they are so highly developed that they have had a working teleportation chamber for at least a hundred of your earth years."

"Whoa."

"Professor, aren't you going to introduce us?" Mikey asked, quite curious about the intruders. He fastened his nunchucks as he spoke. His brothers followed-suit and sheathed their weapons as well.

"Your majesties, please step into the light so everyone can see you."

Everyone in the lair felt hesitation from the aliens.

"It's okay, we don't mind how you look." Raphael said. "After looking at Casey for years, nothing can faze us now."

"Friends," the professor said, "I would like you to meet the three daughters of the Royal House of Shellri-La."

Three hooded figures in long brown robes stepped forward. Slowly, they raised their hands to remove their head coverings.

At that moment, several jaws dropped wide open in disbelief.

"Nothing, except that." Leonardo said, commenting on Raph's earlier statement.

Casey spoke for everyone when he snapped out of his reverie and shouted, "Holy shell! They're turtles; female turtles!"


	8. Chapter 4b

**Author's Note: **It is still the first week, right? (",) Anyway, here's part 2 of Chapter 4. I was so tempted to cut this chapter short as well but then again, too much cliffhangers is bad for our health, right? Thanks for staying tuned!

PS. I'm feeling a bit diligent today… expect another post within the day

**Chapter 4b**

Honeycutt watched in amusement his friends' perplexed expressions after the princesses revealed their faces. But his enjoyment passed when someone from behind him called his attention.

"Professor! I heard an explosion. What happened?"

"Oh dear."

He turned to face the king trying to remain calm. His robotic-fused mind tried to think of an excuse as fast as it possibly could function. He watched as the ruler looked around the smoke-filled room, at him then at the screen behind him.

"Oh no."

The agitated monarch took long strides towards the professor and slammed the palms of his hands on the panel as he looked straight into the display.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in your rooms?" he barked.

"Your majesty, I can explain." The professor stated. "At least I can try to."

"You didn't think that we'd actually just sit and wait for something to happen, now did you?" one of the female turtles spoke as she approached the screen.

"Roshelle, this ---"

But she cut him off. "Father, our sister's out there being hunted down and we're going to help her no matter what the odds."

_Feisty, isn't she? _Raphael thought, trying to bite back a laugh.

"Professor, I want them back here at the castle." The king demanded, turning his attention back to the android.

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible, your majesty." Honeycutt said, as he pointed to the origin of the smoke.

"Darishelle!" the king shouted as he looked back at the screen. "Did you do this?"

"It was either me short-circuiting the board or Roshelle having a whack it." The other replied, moving towards the screen as well. "Don't worry father, it's still fixable. I only tampered with the runtime and location settings. Besides," she added, smiling, "I wanted to grant the professor his wish of seeing the inside of the teleportal machine."

Donatello was awestruck. _Wow, she talks… pretty._

The professor decided that now was the time to intervene. "Adlar, if I may be so bold as to speak out as a friend."

The royal took a deep breath before turning to face the professor again.

"Your daughters mean well and wish nothing more than their sister's safety, even if it means defying you. But I can assure you that they will not be alone in their undertaking. You see, I have friends on Earth." he said, as he pointed to the screen. "They are excellent warriors and I am confident that they can protect and assist the princesses."

It was only at that time did the king realize that his daughters were indeed not alone on the other side --- humans, a giant rodent and ---

"Turtles?!" Adlar exclaimed.

"I already asked him about that." the one called Roshelle said.

The king shot a look at the professor, expecting an explanation, but decided to put it on hold. "Where is Mishelle?" he asked instead.

"Here!" the third one excitedly shouted as she took hurried steps to where her sisters stood. "You know, father, you can always just pretend that we're out traveling the universe like we usually do. That way, you don't have to worry."

_Hey, she's just like me! _Michelangelo thought, noticing the vigor in her voice.

The king shook his head in disbelief. "Very well. I will give you one earth day to find your sister. After which, I am having you teleported back here where it is safe." He sighed then continued. "It is hard enough to think of the possibility of losing one daughter. You cannot imagine how much it pains me to now be concerned about having to lose you three as well."

"We'll be fine, father."

"Make sure that you will be." He said, rather forcefully. Then his expression softened into a somewhat mischievous smirk. "Oh, and when your mother asks, I'll tell her that YOU cut me off."

The three females giggled and bowed. "Yes, father."

"My friends please hurry." Professor Honeycutt finally spoke again. "I have faith in your capabilities to track the missing princess and more so in your abilities to protect ---"

PFFZZZZT

"The meteor storm." Adlar declared. "Communication will be soon cut off. We're" PFFZZZZT "most advanced planet" PFFZZZZT "several systems and we can't" PFFZZZZT

"The meteor storm is starting." Darishelle declared. "We trust in your judgment as well, professor. If you believe that these earth turtles can help us, then we place the success of our mission in their hands."

"Talk about pressure."

WHACK

"Mikey, one more out of you and I swear…"

PFFZZZZT "They" PFFZZZZT "do" PFFZZZZT "takes" PFFZZZZT "to"

BLIP

"I guess this means the storm blocked the transmission." Donatello announced as he approached the alien turtles. "I'm Donatello, by the way, you can call me Don ---" he stopped when Darishelle turned to face him and smiled.

_Her eyes are violet! No, more of lavender; a pale tint of violet, just like the flower. It compliments her olive drab complexion… _

"Hi, Don, it's nice to meet you." She greeted, extending her hand for a friendly shake.

April couldn't help but laugh as she watched the quick-witted Don become flustered and weak-kneed. It was only obvious to her that he was enamored by the soft-spoken female.

"You're cute!"

"Wha?"

Michelangelo found himself face to face with the turtle called Mishelle. He didn't notice that she had gone down from the platform to where he was --- even though he was watching her since she and her sisters showed them their faces.

_Wow, she's even cuter up close. And I was right; her eyes are orange! Only lighter… I'll ask Don later. And her skin color's nice, too. Kinda like those antique, hand-crafted Chinese Jade buttons that Master Splinter has._

"I said, 'you're cute'." She repeated as she waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. "Gee, are you earth turtles this articulate?"

"Shelly, step away from the Earth turtle. You don't know where he's been."

"Hey, I took a bath last week." Mikey whined.

"Yeah, Mikey, that's sure to win her over." Raphael said, turning his attention to the other female turtle on the podium.

_Whoa, talk about foxy; I definitely like the way she walks. And her fern green skin brings out her… no, way! Red eyes?! _Raph did a double take. _Red, they are red! Red as the fire engines! Just like in my dream! _

"Hey, I think you're blushing." Casey teased, as he nudged him back to consciousness.

"I am not!" Raph shot back. But he felt heat rising to his cheeks. He knew Casey was right. But he was not just about to admit that.

"I think you're actually turning red!" Casey continued, laughing. He stopped short when he felt something fly right by his face, cutting some of the hair that hung over his eyes. He looked to his right and saw a lone sai pinned to the wall. "You didn't just throw that thing at me." He said, shifting his attention back to Raph who he noticed appeared peeved but was still blushing.

"Yeah, well that'll teach you to say things that aren't really happening."

"I'm Shelly." Mishelle introduced herself to Mikey, who was still unable to say any thing. "That's Dart." She said, pointing to the female closest to Donatello. "We call her that 'coz she's the smart one and is real quick just like a dart." She explained, rather enthusiastically. "And she's Rose."

WHACK

"Owww."

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"But it suits you!" Shelly claimed, rubbing the back of her head.

"It does." Dart justified, laughing a bit. "Just like the Earth flower."

"Watch out for those thorns!"

WHACK

"Owww."

"Can we focus on what's important here? We still have to figure out how we're going to track Lori down."

"Now there's a coincidence!" Casey exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "Leo here rescued a lady named Lori just a few nights ago. Real nice and pretty, too. And those eyes! Wow, they're like pools of crystal blue…" he trailed off when he noticed his wife looking at him with an arched eyebrow.

"You mean we already found Lori?" Shelly asked.

"Wait, the Lori I found in the sewers is human. She couldn't possibly be you sister." Leonardo said.

"Funny thing about most species is that they believe everything they see." Dart said as she made her way downstairs to join her sisters. As she did so, her right hand reached for what looked like an amethyst armlet on her left arm. She was enveloped in a flash of light, and for the second time that night, everyone's jaws dropped wide open.

The five foot green turtle with purple eyes suddenly stood before them as a petite pale-skinned human with brunette hair and green eyes.

"How did you ---?"

"See the bracelet?" Dart said, raising her arm. "It works two ways. One, it projects a three-dimensional image around us. It's encoded with the physical attributes that is considered the norm of inhabitants in a specific world. It creates for us the hologram of say, a human in this case, that would compliment not only our actual physique, but our personalities as well."

"But the clothes; if every thing was just a hologram, then I wouldn't have been able to touch and wash the clothes." April reasoned.

"Believe it or not, but the clothes are real." Rose said.

Shelly nodded. "Yeah, we bought ourselves outfits the first time we were here. I love shopping!"

"They come with the hologram. We just encode what clothing we'd want to be seen in, then together with the human projection comes the actual clothing. The technology is quite similar to the teleportal."

"So, what's the second one?" Mikey asked, finally finding his voice.

"It's a tracking device. Our father can keep an eye on us that way."

"Lori had four bracelets on her." April said.

"Like ours, right?" Shelly said, showing her pumpkin wristlet and lifting Rose's arm to expose the scarlet bangle on her arm.

"Yes, exactly like yours."

"So what happened?" Raph asked, wanting to know the story.

"We were enjoying our second visit to your city when a few nights back we discovered that we were being followed." Darishelle began. "Our father knew of the danger we were in and instructed us to go to a specific location in Central Park. Just as he was about to teleport us back to Shellri-La ---"

"Lori suddenly decided to play hero." Roshelle continued, dismayed. "She stepped out of the teleportation beam's bounds and intentionally allowed herself to be left behind."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"She probably wanted to throw the hunters off." Mishelle said. "The last thing we saw was her grabbing the bracelets and running in the opposite direction."

"But if the bracelets have a tracking device on them, why not use that to find and teleport your sister?" Don asked.

"Because father already programmed for the bracelets' trackers to short-circuit even before our inter-planetary jump; which is why he gave us the instructions beforehand." Dart answered. "Because I had a hunch then; that those hunters must have been able to duplicate the technology father uses to track us and followed us here on Earth."

"We even threw our bracelets on the ground because of the electric shock." Shelly shared.

"That's probably when Lori got the idea to make sure that we weren't followed." Rose said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "She could have given us a heads up, you know. We've been worried out of our minds!"

"But she's safe." Casey declared. "She's a little bruised up but she's fine."

"Take us to her, please!" Shelly cried out.

"The night is full of surprises." Splinter commented as he composed himself, apparent that even he was surprised to see the alien turtles. "And I believe there will be more of them to come. Stay watchful, my sons." He cautioned then gave Leo a knowing smile. "Go to this Lori and see if she is the one that you are seeking."

Leonardo nodded. He had never felt this much anxiety before. As he led the pack into the Battle Shell, his heart screamed. _I found you. Everything will be alright._


	9. Interlude 3

**Interlude 3**

Ah, the smell of New York during garbage night; nothing like a familiar stench to get you speeding on its empty streets late at night.

I've always enjoyed the adrenaline rush; the feel of the thrill during combat. That's why I've always been known as a loose canon. I know anger like the back of my shell.

The passenger clinging to me right now reminds me of myself. Anger I may not be able to control, but everything else, I can hide or disguise. When our eyes met earlier, I immediately knew she was tough as nails. But behind those fierce eyes is a whole lot of worry. Her sister means a lot to her, like my brothers are to me.

Not that I'm going to go around announcing that to the world.

I have always been jealous of Leo. I wanted to be top turtle. And as much as I'd hate to admit it, he deserves the title more than I do; not because he's the eldest, but because he's worked the hardest for it.

"Hey, wait up, you two!"

I laugh despite of myself.

"You snooze, you lose." I snap into my helmet's commlink, revving my bike to go faster.

I would have to say that if I had to choose a favorite brother, I'd pick Don. He makes the coolest stuff. And he was the one who introduced me to the Shell Cycle.

"He's not going to slow down for us, Donny. He's too busy showing-off to his new girlfriend."

Mikey, on the other hand, is my least favorite. He's the most infuriating. That loose flap of his is going to get him into a whole lotta shell one of these days. Then again, it's been doing just that since he started talking. He never learns.

I glance at the side mirror to check if my companion's still with me; I have been traveling awfully fast. Not surprisingly, she's still there, unfazed and seemingly enjoying the ride. She must've felt me looking at her, 'coz she looks at the mirror and shouts, "Can this thing go any faster?"

A boom from behind us catches me off-guard a bit and I swerve slightly to the left but regain control in a second. I check the mirror again and to my surprise, I see the battle shell gaining on us.

"The shell cycle's not the only one which can go really fast, Raph."

"Donny, what the shell did you do to that thing?"

"You'd be surprised what a little added turtle power can do." He answered, rather too boastfully for my taste. "That and a couple of jet boosters attached to the rear."

Now the Battle Shell's cruising right beside us and I can see Mikey making faces at me as the van steadily inches ahead of us.

I am so going to hit him later.


	10. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** Hi! My sincerest apologies for the delay. I tell you, a bad case of writer's block and utter laziness is a bad, bad combination. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint; I tried, I really tried! Reviews / comments / questions, etc. are welcomed as always!_

**Chapter 5**

April didn't like being the bearer of bad news but knew that she had no choice but to announce to the anxious group, "She's not in the room."

"What do you mean, 'she's not in the room?'" Casey echoed. "Was she abducted?"

April shook her head. "The room's actually clean; the bed's made with the robe and clothes I lent her all neatly folded on it. I don't think she was taken, I think she left."

"Mommy? I found this on the table."

April reached out and took the folded piece of paper from her son's hand. She opened it and browsed through its contents.

"Guys, I was right." She said as she handed the letter to Leo, who was standing the closest to her. Leo read the contents out loud for everyone:

_Casey, April & Matthew,_

_Thank you for your hospitality. I hope to return soon and repay your kindness. I apologize for my sudden leave, but I feel the need to do so as staying any longer may put your lives in danger. _

April smiled in spite of the letter's foreboding contents. "This may not be the best time, Leo, but I think you should continue reading."

Everyone noticed the hesitation from the usually calm and collected turtle.

"Give me that." Raphael said as he snatched the note from Leo's hand.

_Please tell Leonardo that I so enjoyed talking to him last night. Should the fates allow me to meet with your family again I do hope that I get to see Leo then._

_Lori_

"Way to go, Leo!" Casey chided, giving him a playful hit on the shoulder.

"We just started dinner when the professor contacted us." Donatello said, getting everyone's attention. "That was only about two hours since the Jones' left here."

April nodded. "I'm pretty sure she was still here when we left. I told her we were leaving and even offered to bring her something when we got back."

"Now the question is, where she's gone off and how long 'till we find her." Raph said.

The princesses were in an obvious state of panic by then; just when they thought they had found their eldest sister, it turned out that their search was only about to begin.

"What are we going to do?" Shelly exclaimed, her voice shaking.

"We're going to have to move fast and find her before those hunters do." Rose answered, clenching her fists.

"The good news is that they can't track her without the bracelets." Dart interjected, giving hope to the group.

"The bad news is neither can you." Mikey added, earning a nudge from Donatello and a hit on the head from Raphael.

"Owwwwww!"

"Then I say we all just shut the shell up, move out and start looking for her." Raphael offered.

"The city's too big, even if we split up and search per quadrant, it'll still take up too much time." Donatello said.

Leonardo gazed out the apartment window as he listened half-heartedly to the discussion behind him. _Lori, where are you? _He thought to himself, expecting to hear her answer. From where he stood, he could see the full moon that lit the sky. It reminded him of the night before while they talked.

Then, like a ton of bricks, it came to him.

"I know where she is." He declared as he sprinted for the door.

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks before following him.

"Leo!" Raph called-out. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He answered without hesitation.

_I just know she is. She has to be._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Lori tilted her head upward as she took in the sight of what was one of New York City's most popular tourist attractions: the Statue of Liberty. Her bookish sister had bombarded her with historical info about the monument but what captivated her about it the most was its regal demeanor. She smiled at the thought of finally being able to be at Liberty's presence.

But her smile soon waned as the past nights' events unexpectedly flashed through her mind.

She wanted to go home that faithful night, but Lori knew that the enemy was close. While her sisters fussed over removing the bracelets, she heard the hunters' shouts from behind her.

Her instinct to protect then kicked-in.

She understood from her father that if timed correctly, a second party can be teleported using the same beam that transports the first group.

And she was not just about to risk leading intruders into their home.

So when the familiar shaft of light shot down from the heavens, she knew she had to move quickly. Grabbing the discarded bracelets for inspiration, she ran at the precise moment that her sisters could no longer step out of the beam's bounds.

Lori knew that the hunters would settle for at least one of the renowned Shellri-Lan princesses. With this in mind, she allowed herself to be seen by their pursuers and took the chase from there. She hoped that the on-going lightning storm that night had disguised the teleportal's ray. About fifteen minutes later into the chase, it rained; poured like the Earth shared in her desperation.

_But not all had been bad. _She consoled herself. _Not only have I accomplished my goal, but the fates have arranged my meeting the Jones' and..._

She felt heat rising to her cheeks at the moment she started thinking of Leonardo. _What is wrong with me?!_ She asked herself for about the thirtieth time since she regained consciousness.

_I have never felt this way before… _

Lori shook her head to clear her thoughts of her mysterious rescuer and diverted them elsewhere.

She almost felt resentful of herself for having left the Jones' without the proper goodbyes. But she knew her adversaries were relentless and it was only a matter of time before they found her.

And that time came much sooner than she thought.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Don, you have been a very busy turtle, haven't you?" Raphael said, quite impressed with his brother's work.

"Yeah, Donny, kudos for thinking that the Battle Shell needed to be a lean, green, underwater swimming machine!" Mikey said while holding two thumbs up in approval.

"But next time, you should do something about the elbow room. I feel like a sardine right now." Raph complained. "Good thing Casey decided to stay with April and wait at the apartment in case Lori went back there."

Donatello glanced over his shoulder, redirecting his focus from his steering to his annoyed brother. "I never expected us to be cramped like this in the first place." He caught the eye of the female turtle seated beside him. "I made this vehicle cozy for only about five passengers, max." he said sheepishly. "That's why I asked you to stay in front with me."

"I appreciate the thought." Dart said, smiling before looking away to watch the readings on the panel to her left.

"It's okay, Donny, I don't mind." Shelly quipped from the back, giggling as she shifted even closer to Michelangelo. "Do you mind, Mikey?"

"Mind? Uh, why, uhm, would I, ah, mind?"

"I'm sorry."

Raph looked at the other turtle seated next to him with a perplexed expression on his face.

"I'm apologizing for taking up your space."

"Oh I wasn't talking about you, Rose, I was talking about Mikey."

"Wait, Roshelle is apologizing?!" Dart said, turning to face the group seated at the back. "She's actually saying 'sorry' for something?"

"And she didn't cringe when he called her 'Rose.'" Shelly added, grinning. "Wow, Raphie, she must really like you."

"Shelly, if I could only reach you right now..." the red-eyed turtle warned.

"Don, how long before we reach Liberty Island?" Leonardo interrupted, his tone rather impatient.

"Less than five minutes, Leo."

"Don't worry, bro, we'll get there soon enough."

"I hope so, Raph. I hope so."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Throg is a well-known scourge in the far universe; wanted in several star clusters for various crimes ranging from theft to dozens of other unmentionables. He is a massive creature; he towered over her and his built was thrice her small frame. But what caught Lori's attention was the following that he had under his disposal. The great Throg, she knew, worked alone.

"We have you now, princess. There is no where left for you to run or hide."

She took small, slow steps backwards but did not break eye contact with the group's notorious leader.

_This is it, Lori. _She thought, _what's your next move?_

Throg sneered as he barked his orders for his minions to surround her. "Your race is too generous," he began, an evil grin on his face, "sharing your technology to others. That will be Shellri-La's undoing."

"I don't believe that. We create meaningful ties with those planets that we help."

"What you don't realize is that beings like myself have the capability to steal what you give to those planets." He boasted. "Don't you find it strange that we were able to follow you and your sisters light years away from your galaxy and single you out from the hordes of humans on this planet? We used the precious technology that you gave the vulnerable. Your purpose is to help others, but how has that helped you? Look where you stand now, princess. Your secret has been revealed and your gadgets scattered all over the universe just waiting to be plucked."

Lori prepared herself for the worst as she watched the group of eleven inch their way closer to her. They had already formed a semi-circle and were just about to close her in when a loud honk echoed throughout the small island.

"Lori!"

Lori craned her neck to see behind her adversaries where the voice originated from. To her surprise, she sees floating on the bay what looks like a souped-up delivery van. And running towards her were her three sisters. Behind them, were four humanoid turtles that she had never seen before.

They didn't look Shellri-Lan, and they wore colored masks; similar to the hues that she and her sisters were known for in their home planet. The turtle in blue seemed both relieved and angered at the same time as he brandished his twin metallic swords.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

_It can't be…_

The other turtles positioned themselves beside their brother, weapons ready, with the three princesses behind them.

"And I thought some of the aliens we've encountered before were ugly. But these guys take the cake on both looks and stench" Mikey said, cringing. "Heck, they even make Raph look good."

"I knew it was a matter of time before your sisters came after you." Throg said, apparently pleased. "The kind and caring are so predictable; always looking out for one another."

"Yeah, well you have to go through us first before you take any of them away." Raphael declared.

"That can be easily arranged."

The group of hunters readied their armaments which were mainly composed of high-tech shooters.

"We're up against portable laser canons, phaser rifles and hand-held atomic scramblers." Donatello assessed. "The odds aren't exactly in our favor, Raph."

"Since when have they been?" Leonardo countered, as he gripped his katanas tighter. "But I agree with Raph. These hoodlums are not taking the princesses anywhere; not without a fight."

"Take them down." Throg ordered four from his group.

The aliens charged and the ninjas met them halfway.

"We should do something!" Shelly exclaimed as she took a step forward. She stopped when Rose blocked her path with an outstretched arm.

"Wait, I want to see this."

The turtles easily parried and avoided the attacks and as quickly as the battle began, their adversaries were soon dealt with; neatly piled up and unconscious.

Throg was obviously not pleased but had expected the terrapins to be nothing less than formidable protectors. While the skirmish was taking place, he took out a small firearm and aimed carefully at them.

"Look out!"

But Lori's warning came a little late as the turtles found themselves engulfed by a glowing lightweight net.

And they fell to the ground, unable to move.

Rose and Shelly were about to help take the netting off, when they were stopped.

"It's an immobilizing net." Dart told her sisters. "It prevents any organic being that comes to contact with it from any movement and as an added bonus, if left on for too long, it can completely drain creatures of its life force. We first have to reverse the settings on the weapon that spewed out the net before we can even touch it."

Leonardo continued to struggle; trying to get any semblance of motion from his body, but his efforts were useless. He was frozen; unable to budge from his current position. He sensed his brothers' frustrations as well.

"This ends now." Lori announced, garnering the group's attention back to her.

The hunters guffawed and one of them hissed, "Are you pleading for the lives of your guardians?"

"It's more of a warning, actually." Shelly said, as she made her way in front of the turtles. Her two sisters followed suit, forming a protective wall between them and the attackers.

This only made the hunters laugh louder.

Throg silenced his group and spoke, "We will spare their lives if you come with us."

"I don't think so." Rose spat out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then we will finish them off and take you by force."

"Think again." Dart said, as she took a small metallic object from her robe. She closed her fingers on it, and like magic it glowed and morphed into an elongated weapon. She shifted it in her hand and the other side shot out a pointed blade.

Rose and Shelly followed suit and their objects glowed the same way their sister's did. But their weapons were unlike each others'. Shelly's became a weighted chain with a sharp spike at one end while Rose's transformed into twin short handled sickles with long, curved blades.

Dart swung her staff from right to left which made it emit a low vibrating sound that disrupted some of the firearms; rendering them useless. She then charged at the nearest alien, thrusting the blunt end of her staff on his abdomen and sliced a second alien's weapon in half with her blade. With one final swoop, she whacked the two on precise locations at the back of their necks knocking them unconscious.

Shelly flicked her wrist and the chain flew like lightning then wrapped itself around one of the adversary's arms. She jumped in the air and tugged at the chain to bring herself down; hitting hard & heavy on her opponent's chest when she landed. With a fluid motion, she unravels her weapon and flings it toward a charging opponent this time enveloping his legs and causing him to stumble and fall flat on his face.

Rose charged with her arms straight behind her, the blades of her weapons angled at her sides. She evaded laser shots while keeping her eyes on her targets. She brought her arms forward and in almost an instant, she disenables two firearms and the hooligans handling them.

For once, Throg was not prepared for this. He gritted his fangs as he watched the turtle princesses make short work of his militia. Enraged, he drew his laser rifle, hidden within the folds of his outfit, preparing to deal with them himself.

"Throg!" Lori yelled. "Your fight is with me."

He turned to face her, his lemon-tinted eyes staring her down.

"Your mistake is not finding out more about your quarry." She told him. "We are not weak, Throg," she spat out, "we are more than capable of defending ourselves and protecting those around us."

Throg lifted his weapon and took aim at her. "I'm sure that you know that I am quite the skilled marksman. Surrender yourselves and I will spare your sister." He said, his eyes on Lori but his words directed at the three princesses behind him.

"Knock yourself out." Rose said, rather amusedly. "Try not blink." she added.

But Throg did blink and in that quick moment that he did, he found that his target was no longer in his sights. Before he could react and lower his weapon to scout the surroundings, Lori reappears a few feet in front of him, single saber in hand, and slices his rifle in three equal parts.

And immediately after that, finds his throat at the mercy of the sharp end of her sword.

"Yeah, way to go, Lori!" Shelly cheered.

Lori reached into one of Throg's inner pockets and took out the pistol which fired the net earlier. "Dart, is this what you need?"

Dart nodded her reply as her sister tossed the firearm to her. "Don't worry, guys, we'll get you out as soon as I figure this out."

"Which won't be long, really." Shelly said, stooping down and offering the disgruntled turtles a smile.

"So what do we do with him, Lori?" Rose asked.

"He will be brought to the proper authorities. He has a lot to account for." Lori replied, as she lowered her weapon. "But before that," she rapidly and sequentially thrust her fingers onto select locations on Throg's thorax. He fell forward, out cold. "all of them need to be brought to Shellri-La. Our secret must not be known to any one else. Father will know what to do."

"I think I got it." Dart declared. "Try standing up."

"You okay?" Rose asked as she helped Raphael up. He stretched a bit then rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing hurt except for my pride."

"You girls kicked shell!" Michelangelo exclaimed as he glanced over at the bruised and beaten group behind the females. Shelly beamed at the compliment. "I know, weren't we awesome?"

Donatello seemed embarrassed. "Weren't we the ones supposed to do the protecting?" Dart offered him a reassuring smile. "Think nothing of it. You just got thrown off guard, that's all."

Leo took measured steps towards Lori uncertain what to say. This was the first time he had seen her since he found her unconscious in the sewers. If her sisters had not insisted that she was an alien turtle, he would never have assumed it. She stood before him in her human form; and to him, the only telling parts, the only thing that would make him believe, were her blue eyes that sparkled under the moon light.

She returned his hesitant gaze with her own. "Leonardo?"

"It's kind of a long story," he began. "But for starters, I'm glad that we got here on time."

"Now that that's over… Lori! I'm so glad you're safe!" Shelly squealed.

Lori reluctantly tore her gaze away from Leonardo's eyes as she turned to face her sisters. She smiled at their reprieve to see her and welcomed the hugs that came all at once.

Leonardo stepped away and went to his brothers, giving the girls room to cherish their reunion.

"So she's the mystery woman Casey was talking about earlier." Raphael quipped, slapping his eldest brother on the shell. "So Leo, when were you planning to tell us about her?"

The four brothers watched as the sisters exchanged pleasantries. Suddenly, Michelangelo spoke. "Uhm, guys, we still have a big problem in our hands." When everyone turned to face him, he continued, "Any ideas on how we're going to fit everyone including that pile of sleeping gruesomes over there in the Battle Shell?"


	11. Interlude 4

**Interlude 4**

_If one of us goes down, we all go down. _

Leo's words have been echoing in my head since the Battle Nexus grudge match years ago. I never told anyone about how much that got me thinking -- and I never showed how affected I was.

Come on, I do have a reputation to keep!

I'm still the same lazy, unfocused goofballas I always was, but I have learned when to watch my shell.

I look at Leo and notice him stealing glances at Lori. She has deactivated the human hologram around her and our fearless leader has been drooling over her sleek turtlette bod since then. He's finally found something else to concentrate on now. There is more to our lives than the, "way of the warrior", right?

I watch the sisters as they talk among themselves, obviously relieved that they're together again. Kinda surprising how four personalities get attached to each other in spite of their obvious differences.

We're like that, too: destined to be together because we're brothers. It's as they say, you can't choose family.

Even if you wanted to.

Especially if you're nothing like them.

"Mikey? You okay?"

I snap out of my day dreaming to find Shelly's face really close to mine.

She's really cute. And I like how she seems to effortlessly sneak up on me.

I wonder if she likes video games. Or if they even have video games from where she comes from. Or comic books.

Imagine a world without video games or comic books!

WHACK

"Mikey, the lady asked you a question. It's impolite to stare blankly at her." Raph tells me, his tone rather irritated.

"Oh, and I suppose gawking at her behind is."

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have blurted that out with me standing right next to him.

"Isn't he adorable?" Shelly asks her sisters.

"If by adorable you mean annoying, then yes." Rose answers, her face a bright red. She must've gotten what I was hinting at with my earlier comment.

I wonder if she noticed that my bro smells kinda funky. She was seated next to him in the Battle Shell and she didn't seem to mind. Shelly was right. Rose must really like him.

"Did you know that I'm a Battle Nexus Champion?" I ask Shelly, giving her a toothy grin.

My brothers groan.

"Mikey, all four of us are Battle Nexus Champions and Leo's got the most trophies. But you don't hear him talking about that, now do you?"

Donny and his big mouth. You don't hear me telling female turtles that he has smelly feet. Although I'm pretty sure that Dart will be able to discover that on her own.

"Wow! Really?" Shelly exclaims, her eyes wide with wonder. "We've heard about those matches. But my sisters and I never get the chance to watch the competitions." She tugs at my arm. "I want you to tell me all about it."

I think my grin just got wider.

Four mutant turtle brothers. Four alien turtleoid sisters.

How cool is that?

I just love being a turtle.


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Splinter rose from his slumber and stretched. He glanced at the illuminated face of the clock on his side table.

5:30 a.m.

He got up from his sleeping mat, dressed then proceeded with his usual morning grooming routine. Satisfied, he picked-up his walking stick and slid the door open.

_I think I will have pancakes this morning, _he thought with a smile on his face. _That would be rather satisfying. I can smell them cooking now… _

And smelled them he did.

He stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air once again, uncertain if he had imagined it. After three whiffs he concluded that he did not imagine it; someone was indeed making the morning meal -- along with some eggs, bacon and sausages.

He cautiously approached the kitchen, certain that his sons were still asleep since he can hear their distinct snores echoing throughout the lair. He slowly stuck his head to peek inside the cooking area when somebody from behind him spoke.

"Good morning, Master Splinter."

The usually composed rat almost jumped out of his robes in surprise.

"You caught me off-guard, Lori." He said. "Leonardo is usually the one capable of sneaking up on me like that." He bowed to her and smiled. "Good morning."

Lori smiled back and offered to escort him to the dining table. "My sisters and I got up early to make breakfast… I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Why not at all. In fact, it smells appetizing."

She pulled a chair and gently pushed it in after he sat. "Make yourself comfortable, Master, we'll be serving in a few minutes. Some freshly squeezed orange juice, while you wait?" He nodded and she disappeared into the kitchen.

Splinter looked around and noticed that the usual clutter that greeted him every waking moment was gone. In three days, his sons were able to clear and organize the mess that had accumulated in the years that they had lived in their home.

_For the first time in twenty-five years, my sons have actually dusted and cleaned without being told_.

He looked up to watch Dart & Rose set the table while Shelly placed the coaster and tall glass of OJ before him.

"Morning, Master Splinter!"

"Good morning, Mishelle. I see you're in a good mood today."

"I'm always in a good mood." She answered, grinning from cheek to cheek. "I'm a morning turtle! And an afternoon turtle and a night turtle… heck I'm even a midnight and dawn turtle!"

He arched an eyebrow. "I can see why you and Michelangelo get along so well."

She giggled then tilted her head to the side as if listening for something. "I should go back to the kitchen. I'm cooking some more eggs just in case my Mikey wakes up hungry." With that, she left.

"I often wonder if she was dropped on the head when we were just hatchlings."

Splinter shifted his attention to Rose who stood at the other end of the rectangular table. He shook his head in incredulity but was smiling nonetheless.

"Roshelle, you must remain patient with your sister even though she has an unusually animated view of life."

"I know that, Master Splinter," Rose answered. "It just borders on annoying to see her so perky every day. For me, it's a constant struggle to stop myself from shoving her off a high cliff."

He laughed. "Raphael still has that same predicament with his youngest brother. But he manages to stop himself from slaughtering him. He has more control of his anger now… despite the persistent and constant bantering of Michelangelo."

It was her turn to laugh. "Yes, I've watched them go at it. Kinda strange; it's like watching Shelly and me. But it is funny."

"Oh yes, hilarious."

Rose and Splinter looked to find Dart approaching with a big plate of pancakes. "This is plate one." She motioned for her sister to go to the kitchen then placed the heavy serving dish down on the table.

"On average, each of the male turtles can consume 5 pancakes in one minute; not including the bacon, eggs or sausages. We made X number of each kind…" she trailed-off then groaned.

"Is something the matter, Darishelle?" Splinter asked.

"I just did a little calculating and, well, to put it simply, I think we still need to make more."

He stared at the heaping tower of pancakes before him. "This is not enough?" He looked at her again, then at the pancakes. "I will not dispute with you. You and Donatello have this way of assessing everything."

She bit back a chortle. "Oh, this isn't even mind-boggling, Master Splinter. I just watch our boys eat. And after doing so, even you could easily come to that conclusion."

Splinter laughed again. The turtlettes are uncannily like his sons. Their personas matched as if they were each halves to complete four wholes.

Lori, Shelly and Rose soon approached the table, each carrying two large plates piled with food. Dart disappeared into the kitchen once again to fetch the juice pitcher and the condiments. Soon after, Splinter noticed the four half-asleep turtles lumbering towards the dining area.

"Good morning, sleepy heads!" Shelly greeted, half-laughing. "We were just about to start without you." She skipped towards Michelangelo. "I made eggs! Ninja-style! Just the way you like 'em." She then led him to the feast.

"The sausages are how you like them." Rose said, calling Raphael's attention. I also put a whole lot of them aside so that Mikey won't consume all of them like before." She then pulled-out a chair and motioned for him to sit beside her.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?" Lori approached Leonardo, quite worried. "You and your brothers stayed up late again." She nudged him gently. "Really, you boys don't have to clean so much, you've done enough to make us feel at home."

"Yes, even letting us sleep in your rooms while we're here." Darishelle quipped, large pitcher of juice in one hand and a large bottle of syrup and butter in the other. She set it down before calling Donatello over. "I found something to tinker with last night. I think you'll be pleased with the results."

Splinter watched his sons engage in conversation with their counterparts. He has never seen them so happy… so full of hope.

_Ah, the joys of fatherhood. I hope that my sons will be able to experience what I have with them._

He bit back a laugh.

_Headaches included._

He smiled yet again after making a sudden realization.

_It is good to know that dreams do come true._

THE END


End file.
